“And if you do start to panic, just picture that in your head. Me tossing you over my shoulder to make a quick retreat.” His gaze trails down my body. “I know I will.”
A pang of lust hits me out of nowhere. But the easy grin on his face doesn’t give away the innuendo in his tone.
“Quint.”
“Hey.” He holds up his hands. “I’m just getting in character.”
“Really? One flaw there. Nobody’s around to see us here yet.” I make a point of looking around. Nothing but dumpsters and some crumpled papers blowing toward the road.
“Practice makes perfect.”
I roll my eyes, but slip my arm through the crook of his elbow. Maybe he’s right. Might as well keep up appearances. At least, that’s what I tell myself I’m doing. Not that I enjoy his hands on me far more than I should.
Janine picked a trendy restaurant with huge windows looking out onto a street. People are bustling up and down the sidewalks. It’s kind of what I expected of Calgary, but also kind of surprising.
There are lots of people wearing the cowboy hats and boots I was fully expecting to see, but there are also people in standard business suits, casual dress. The full spectrum you generally see in a big city. It’s also very clean. Other than that one piece of skittering trash from the alley, the sidewalks are clean and well maintained.
The manager lets us in through the back door, taking us to our table. Prime real estate, of course. Right in the huge front window of the place. The spot you sit in when you’re planning to get photographed.
A woman walks up to our table moments later. She’s wearing a black mini dress, blond hair pulled back in a sleek bun. Another unexpected look. Feels like Janine could have maybe picked a place that’s a little more country, but I’m sure she had her reasons.
She gives us a cool smile, no surprise or fawning. I’m sure the entire staff has been informed of my presence. What a weird thing to think about. What they don’t get is that I’m just a human. A human with a job that makes my face instantly recognizable.
I had a video call with Lin to make sure my style was friendly, but on brand. I fiddle with the collar of the short denim shirtdress.
“You look gorgeous,” Quint says. It’s almost like he can read my mind. Or he’s just really good at picking up on body language.
“Thanks. You clean up pretty well yourself.”
He nods. “To be honest, I haven’t been dressed by someone else since I was a kid. It was a little weird. Do you have to do that every time you leave the house back in LA?”
The server comes up to take our drink order and hands us some menus. Quint asks for some local beer, but I stick with sparkling water. No stains and a clear head.
“Not every time I leave. Actually, a lot of the time, I pick my own clothes. I’ve always loved fashion and makeup. Back in college I was the one people came to for wardrobe advice. Abby…” I trail off. I’ll have to call her tonight.
“Was that one of your friends from college?” He leans in, and I’m struck by how weird it is being out with someone who is actually interested in the answer, not just making small talk and waiting for his own chance to boast about his next role.
“Yeah, um, you’ve probably heard of her. Abby Fleet? Formerly McCloud. We were roommates.”
His mouth falls open. He knows who I am. He watched Paisley Creek, but apparently he hasn’t been doing a deep dive into my history. It’s pretty common knowledge how close we are. Or were. And will be again.
“Abby Fleet, the songwriter? Her husband is a hockey player, right?”
I nod. There’s a small curl of satisfaction that he acknowledges her first instead of going straight to fawning over Seb. “That’s right. In fact, if it weren’t for me, they might not have ended up together.” It’s a bit of an exaggeration, but it’s one I constantly remind them of.
“Ah, so you’re a matchmaker?”
The server comes back, placing our drinks in front of us. “Were you ready to order?”
I look over at Quint and he nods.
I order the tilapia and he goes for the steak sandwich.
“What are you doing ordering fish here? You’ve got to go for the Alberta beef.”
I shrug. “I like fish.”
“Okay, but you’re missing out. I tell you what. I’ll pick up some steaks and we’ll cook you a real ranch dinner before the rest of the film crew gets here.”
